into the game. he is saying i am back in the game. i am giving this a top priority. he went on to say that waytiation is only possible to achieve the solution. he said something very interesting. he suggested the negotiations should not have any kind of -- he moves to how you start the negotiations. he made it very clear that the united states -- the two state solution can be achieved. >> the phone lines are open. you can send us an e-mail. you can join us on facebook. you can also join us on twitter. for our radio audience, i will explain what we are looking at.

bb1, referring to netanyahu. i do not know why people think we have had such a contentious relationship. he had a past relationship with president obama. most would deny it. mittsaid that he supported romney. he did not do much to support president obama and this election recycle. --did they do a lot to bid bridge the gaps. , we sawuld be persuaded the israeli public they even though it may started with

mistrust towards obama, it ended this week with a lot of affection. --really did manage to build bridge some of these gaps. he arrived in israel on wednesday. he met with the prime minister and president perez. he traveled to the west bank and he met with the palestinian authority. on friday, meeting with the president of jordan before playing tourist yesterday and he asked to washington about iran's ambitions. here is more from the trip and the comments of the israeli prime has -- president. we discussed the long-range

issues for both of our countries. among these is iran's relentless pursuit of nuclear weapons. , you have made it clear that you are determined to preventing iran from developing nuclear weapons. i appreciate your forthright position on this. i appreciate that you have noted that you have acted to orchestrate through determined diplomacy and strong sanctions that are getting stronger yet. and your great success in mobilizing international community, and sections have so far not stop iran. my view is that in order to stop the programs peacefully, diplomacy must be augmented by credible threats of actions.

i want to thank you once again for always making clear that israel must be able to defend itself by itself against any threat. host: let me get your reaction to that and to this specific twitter message to you, nathan guttman -- guest: the direct threat is first of all to israel, but regarding the broader issue of course a nuclear iran or, if you want, a first strike neighbor in the broad circle would have the ability to strike american interests in the region. there is more than one in the region. they could threaten afghanistan, iraq, the broader middle east. they could ignite a nuclear arms race and they're the first country to worry about. that is what we saw this strong message from benjamin netanyahu.

host: said arikat, this is a related twitter message on where we are after 10 years of war in iraq and afghanistan -- host: let me add, either way, what is the effect on the middle east specifically? guest: i spent five years in iraq as the u.n. spokesman, i got to know it intimately. let me tell you that iraq is a pretty much destroyed country. the constructed in many ways. physically and otherwise. there is no reconciliation. after 10 years of war in iraq we find that the country is more divided than ever. as we have seen from john kerry's visit today, the tensions between the united

states and this government, not very cordial. imbued with a lot of tension. a lot coming back from the community of nations they have not really a implemented. i would say that it is all because of a constitution that failed the entire public at large. basically taking segments of society and addressing themselves to them. host: this unannounced trip that you just indicated in iraq, these officials with the president on his trip, the associated press pointed out that there were a series of meetings over flights. iran says that this is

humanitarian aid and that syria is getting the weapons or else. guest: a whole concern, as the israelis feel that regardless of everything going on, they look to the north and in syria they see it disintegrating. weapons are flowing into the regime of the time. if we discussed the threat to iran stabilizing, weapons would also be a threat to the united states and its interest in the region. host: independent line, florida, welcome to the program. caller: welcome, gentlemen. i would like to posit, if i may,

we are talking about netanyahu and israeli intransigence when it comes to the peace treaty. i am at a loss. hamas still has on its charter the destruction of israel. we know that abbas has indicated that he wants to retire. when the israelis left the security zone of lebanon, they got rockets. when they left -- when they left gaza, they got rockets and kidnapping. is the trip piece on the west bank? i am concerned they will be getting them on the west bank, sooner or later.

the gentleman from the wicked ptl leaks with her this iran and was it as real as the work to be? host: the president spoke specifically about hamas, a perfect segue from your point. here's more from the president from this past week. we will get your reaction. [video clip] >> this all stands in stark contrast to the misery and repression that so many palestinians continue to confront. because hamas refuses to denounce violence and cares more about pushing its own dogma rather than allowing palestinians to live freely. it is about tearing visit -- caring israel down rather than building palestine up -- tearing israel down rather than building palestine up.

host: our guest this morning, nathan guttman and said arikat. your reaction? guest of people seem to forget that since hamas was elected, according to the monitors and international standards immediately. the cramped situation was conducive. the fact that the former prime minister chose to withdraw unilaterally without coordinating this and intended to diminish their power

and did up with what is going on today. -- ended up with what is going on today. hamas is more militant than the west bank. the occupation cannot go on. where we have occupation is in the west bank. you have to deal with it on that basis. this situation must end. the only way it can end is with a brokered deal with the palestinians on the west bank. host: there is no silver bullet for peace in the middle east. given up is not an option. kant never did a thing. let's go back to syria. are we doing the right thing in cilia? -- in syria?

guest: the only redline the white house put out was the use of chemical weapons. there were reports from syria that the president assad regime used chemical weapons against the rebels and the united states reached the conclusion that that is probably not so. this situation is close to the brink of forcing the united states to intervene in some way to prevent crossing this redline. president obama's trip to the region, including jordan, is hosting hundreds of thousands of refugees and highlighted the fact that the situation on the ground in syria is not getting better. there is no sign that it will get better. it does not seem the united states has a response to this ongoing challenge. guest: the united states has been the biggest donor in terms of humanitarian and financial

aid to the syrian opposition. close to $500 million so far. also giving logistical and to indications training. we are told there is some training and intelligence being given to the militants, parts of the opposition. we need to understand what is going on in syria is looking like a civil war. a civil war between extremist islamic militant groups that are not real militias. there are something like 300 different militant groups. it is difficult to give direct aid. we do not know who they are. a lot of them a spouse al qaeda dogma. a lot of the one to impose algeria- sharia law. syria is a mosaic of different

groups. there is a large christian community. they do not want to see sharia law imposed. the united states has been doing a measured policy that will be effective in the long run. host: are we at ipods -- atao -- at odds with britain and germany jim host: -- at odds with germany and britain? guest: president obama said the syria is not just a problem of the united states, but for the entire world. it is difficult for the united

states to explain how it is staying on the sidelines and providing humanitarian support when there is a crisis of this magnitude going on. it will be increasingly more difficult to stay on the sidelines with the europeans pushing for more. host: said arikat, there has been discussion as to what the chemical weapons were used in science syria. in a news over the last 48 hours inside syria. any news over the last 48 hours? guest: the state department has no evidence to show that the syrian government or the opposition -- there have been opposition -- accusations on both sides about using chemical weapons. there has been no evidence of

that. the united nations is leading an effort to determine whether chemical weapons have been used. there are all kinds of technical things involved. they need to conduct these experts to determine if it is by a examination or looking at injuries to determine whether chemical weapons have been used. we have been told by people in the intelligence community the for the regime to use chemical weapons, there are logistical problems. thus far, there has been no evidence. host: a follow-up from one of our viewers. it is in the rebels' interest to use chemical weapons.

there is no upside for president assad to do it. this headline from the baltimore sun. the president urging a palestinian state. remarks by president obama. [video clip] >> put yourself in their shoes. look at the world through their eyes. it is not fair that a palestinian child cannot go out. [applause] living their entire lives with the presence of a foreign army that controls the movements of those young people and their parents and their grandparents every single day. it is not just when violence

against palestinians goes unpunished. [applause] it is not right to prevent palestinians from farming their lands or restricting a student's ability to move around the west bank or displace palestinian families from their homes. [applause] neither occupation or expulsion is the answer. host: the president speaking in jerusalem. let me go back to the words from the new york times. the president embraced israelis with understanding and honesty, which is why the palestinians need to drop their preconditions and into the negotiations and israel needs to test and test again what the president abbas and the palestinian authority can deliver.

that seems to be the key to all of this. guest: that seems to be the next phase. obama made clear he is not going to ask for that. he tried it in his first term and it did not work. he pressed israel to do it and it was a long negotiation. the settlement freeze did not lead to any breakthrough in the negotiations. that would be a non-starter. in the clip we just saw, we saw the president tapped into popular sentiments. they want to seek peace. there is a sense of indifference in israeli society, this sense of security because of a wall separating them from the palestinians into a missile defense system. the israelis lost interest in the peace process.

what obama was trying to tell them is you cannot ignore this problem. you have to put yourself in their shoes. the conflict is still going on. host: nathan guttman is the washington bureau chief forfor jewish daily forward. -- for jewish daily forward. can abbas delivered? guest: he is a partner that is willing to go more than half way. settlements are a big issue for the palestinians. much advice has come from this town and other places that the settlements should not be an issue. the more settlements you build, the less chance you have for a rival palestinian state. what the president did in that particular segment was, from the

palestinian's point of view, that was his finest moment. he said, put yourself in their shoes. see how they endure the military occupation day after day. on the issue of settlements, there is probably some sort of agreement. everybody talks about the silent commitment by benjamin netanyahu that we will not expand outside jerusalem and some of the other areas. this will go a great deal to sympathize with the palestinians to go forward and rejoin the negotiations. if this were to be true, some activities in the larger middle east -- i think you will find the palestinians are ready to go to negotiations. we have to look at this memo

leaked by the new york times a couple of days ago with the palestinians were appealing to the president to get a verbal commitment from benjamin netanyahu that he will not expand settlements in the west bank outside the major plots. they want to go back to negotiating because they know this is the only way to achieve what they want. host: let's go to james in mississippi. good morning to you. caller: good morning. all my life [indiscernible] i am in the vietnam war. most of the wars we fight are for political gain, politicians, building bridges. they build them, they get blown up and the kennedys make more

money. these conflicts are for the governments to get together and say, we have a conflict. you need to come over here and help us. host: james, thank you for the call. anybody talking about military use in the middle east was as a diplomatic effort? guest: i do not think anybody is talking but american military use. they are talking about the question of what the the united states needs to intervene militarily in iran. there is no appetite in the united states or in the american government to start another war in the middle east. we are marking tenures for the iraq war.

that is -- we are marking 10 years for the iraq war. israelis want to feel -- they do not want america to go to war with iran. if everything is exhausted and nothing works, the united states will be willing to do something >> the future of the republican party tomorrow. discussing income inequality before the typical wage earner and ceos. then to the justice department program that spans -- spins almost $300 million on halfway houses to help inmates. today on c-span